02/99-02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Christine Kelleher, 800-232-9557, Ext. 512 or Gary Doerr, 916-716-1889

Apart from those plants bred and introduced in England by Alan and Adrian Bloom, Blooms of Bressingham North America offers a number of fine perennials that were discovered or bred by American breeders, nurseries and amateur gardeners.

"It used to be said that North American plant species had to be ‘legitimized’ as fit for North American gardeners by sending them to England and Europe for hybridizing and then bringing them back with a cultivar name. This is certainly not the case today," says Gary Doerr, president of Blooms of Bressingham North America.

"Many outstanding perennials are discovered or bred right here in North America. As our gardeners have become more familiar with perennials, they have been discovering new varieties at an impressive rate."

New North American-bred Blooms varieties Doerr especially recommends looking for are Heliopsis ‘Loraine Sunshine’ (Sunflower Heliopsis), Hemerocallis ‘Miss Mary Mary’ (Daylily), Hemerocallis ‘Lady Scarlet’ (Daylily), Heuchera ‘Harmonic Convergence’ (Coral Bells), ´ Heucherella ‘Quicksilver’ (Foamy Bells), Phlox paniculata ‘Shortwood’ (Garden Phlox) and Rudbeckia speciosa ‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ (Black-Eyed Susan).

A one-of-a-kind variegated leaf form of Heliopsis developed by Brent Hanson of Rhinelander Floral Co., Rhinelander, Wis., ‘Loraine Sunshine’ is as at home in the deep South (USDA Hardiness Zone 9) as it is in Southern Canada (Zone 3). Lush variegated leaves are white with green veins, providing a perfect backdrop for the large, golden-yellow daisy flowers, which bloom from July until the first frost sets in.

Although native to the Far East, Daylilies are widespread throughout North America and seem to thrive everywhere they are grown. Like all Blooms Lovely LadyÔ Daylilies, ‘Miss Mary Mary’ and ‘Lady Scarlet’ were top performers in the All-America Daylily Selection Council’s trials. From Nature’s Renaissance, Grain Valley, Mo., both varieties are excellent for mass plantings, borders or anywhere in the garden for accent.

‘Miss Mary Mary’s’ yellow-gold, 2-7/8-inch flowers appear early in the season on 15- to 18-inch stems. Flowers repeat bloom with increasing number of double blooms throughout the season. ‘Lady Scarlet’s’ large, 6-inch, scarlet-red flowers have wide round forms and a velvety texture, and also bloom early.

Heuchera ‘Harmonic Convergence’ harmonically converges showy, fringed pink flowers with silver-marbled and bronze foliage in one exciting plant. Long, relatively dense flower cones bloom from late spring to summer while foliage is a season-long attraction. Nice for mass plantings or as specimen plants with foliage accent. From Charles Oliver of Scottdale, Pa., who received the 1998 Marcel LePiniac International Award for Plant Breeding.

Also developed by Charles Oliver, ´ Heucherella ‘Quicksilver.’ A one-of-a- kind hybrid of Heuchera and Tiarella, ‘Quicksilver’ has a pronounced silver overlay to the area between veins of bronze foliage. Base foliage color changes from red to green to dark bronze for added interest over the season. White flowers arise from pinkish buds on dark flowering stems with an extended flowering period from late spring into July. In the North, ‘Quicksilver’ doesn’t melt down in high-temperature periods as readily as some ´ Heucherellas.

Phlox paniculata ‘Shortwood’ is a chance seedling of ‘David’ discovered by Sinclair Adam of Dunvegan Nursery, West Chester, Pa., which is slightly taller than ‘David’ and appears to be more mildew resistant than others of this type. Lovely pink flowers with dark pink eyes form in summer on erect flowering stems of this clump-forming plant. Its strong, sturdy stems are excellent for cutting.

Those who were taken by Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm,’ the Perennial Plant Association’s 1999 Perennial Plant of the Year, should find Rudbeckia speciosa ‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ equally as charming. Developed by the Andre Viette Farm and Nursery, Fishersville, Va., this dwarf variety produces showy, medium yellow flowers for long-lasting color from midsummer to midfall. Plant height is about 12- to 14-inches the first year and slightly taller in the second year, but always shorter than ‘Goldsturm.’